Mrs. Crane: Look, there is NO WAY I can keep a faculty member here at John Davidson High School who has been caught distributing pornography in the cafeteria, and in the SAME WEEK assaults a student in the parking lot!

Bill: There’s no EXCUSE for Coach Lewis’ behavior, Mrs. Crane, but FIRING him won’t SOLVE anything! He’ll just get another job in another all-white suburban high school! There’s something going on inside him that’s turning him inside out! If we just had enough time, we could maybe figure out what it is and turn him around so he could face himself!

Mrs. Crane: I think I know what you mean. But even if we turned him around, I don’t see how he could face himself.

Tom: She’s right. What we want to do is turn him right-side out.

Al: No, that’s WORSE! Leave him inside out, see? At least then he can face himself!

Peter: Mrs. Crane, do you ever face yourself?

Mrs. Crane: Oh, yes. I face myself every morning.

Peter: Well, ho?

Mrs. Crane: By looking inside myself.

Tom: Yeah… but you’ve never been turned inside-out.

Mrs. Crane: [ laughing ] Oh, you’d be surprised! Well, since you put it that way, I’ll give him another chance. [ the team is thrilled ] But I’m warning you! I’m warning you — if he causes any more trouble, I’m gonna have to fire him… and make you boys wear normal clothes to class.

Team: Oh, wait a minute..!

[ dissolve to school hallway, Coach Lewis hitting on a female student ]

Coach Curtis Lewis: I told you I’m too old for you, now who needs you? Beat it!

Pregnant Student: Okay, okay!

[ he exits down the hall, as the basketball team runs forward ]

Mitchell: Here he is!

[ the team surrounds Coach Lewis ]

Coach Curtis Lewis: Oh, boy…

Bill: Coach? You missed practice again today. Now, this is getting SERIOUS! It’s pretty hard for a team to play without supervision!

Tom: Yeah…

Coach Curtis Lewis: Hey, listen — I had to take care of my mom because… she’s sick. Yeah, that’s it! She’s sick! My mom’s sick. Now, get off my case and leave me alone! [ he turns to one of the teammates as he reaches into his pocket ] Hey, uh — you want to buy a gun? It’s got a registration on it… [ the teammate shakes his head No, so Coach Lewis exits the hall ]

Tom: Hey… I wonder if the Coach was telling the truth about his mother?

Bill: There’s only one way to find out.

Al: [ dumbly ] Smell his sneakers?

Bill: Nooo! Visit his mother.

Tom: Alright, let’s go!

[ the team rushes down the hall ]
[ dissolve to Mrs. Lewis’ house, as she reads Essence Magazine ]
[ the doorbell rings ]

Mrs. Lewis: I wonder who it is? [ she answers the door to the team ] Oh! What can I do for you?

Bill: Uh — we’re the Jhon Davidson High School basketball team. We’d like to talk to you about your son, Mrs. Lewis.

Mrs. Lewis: Please! Please! I don’t want to hear any more! I don’t know what gets him to do these things! I tried so HARD to teach him the right plan! [ she sinks onto her couch and cries ] Now it’s come to this! I don’t know what I’m going to do!

[ suddenly, Coach Lewis enters the house ]

Coach Curtis Lewis: [ angered ] What are you guys doing here?!

Bill: We came because we CARE!

Team: Yeah!!

Mrs. Lewis: They’ve been telling me… what you have been UP to, Son! Why is that you always hurt everyone around you?! Sometimes I’m ASHAMED to be your mother! [ she begins to cry ]

Coach Curtis Lewis: Mom… is it because I’m Black?

Mrs. Lewis: Now, you know that that has NOTHING to do with it! It’s because you’re a BAD BOY, that’s why! A bad boy… [ she cries harder ]

Announcer: It’s Visitors, 99; Davidson, 98! It looks like it’s gonna come down to one last shot! Davidson scores the ball like a well-oiled machine! Coach Lewis really deserves a lot of credit for turning this team around! Here’s the shot! It’s tiptoeing in! He made it! [ buzz! ] The game’s over, and Davidson wins 100 to 99!

[ dissolve to locker room, as the team rushes in carrying Coach Lewis in their arms ]

Coach Curtis Lewis: Hey, hey! THIS… is the GREATEST day of my life!

[ Mrs. Crane enters ]

Mrs. Crane: Nice game, team!

Bill: Thank you, Mrs. Crane! Hey! Now what do you think of Coach Lewis?

Mrs. Crane: He’s fired.

Team: What?! For what?

Coach Curtis Lewis: But I don’t understand. I paid back all the money I stole. I flushed a POUND of heroin down the toilet and turned in my drug contact. I won the respect of my team, and led them to victory. And now you tell me… I’m fired. Why?

Mrs. Crane: Because you’re Black. [ a beat ] Just kidding!

[ everyone stands up and laughs themselves into a fake freeze-frame ]
[ SUPER: “The writers of The Black Shadow wish to acknowledge their debt to scripts from the following shows:

Mr. NovakLucas TannerRoom 222The Paper ChaseWelcome Back Kotter ” ]

Jingle: “He fails, not because he’s coloredbut because he’stroubled and bewildered.The team cares about him because only theyknow his background.

He’s the Black Shadow.He’s a coach in trouble.He’s the Black Shadowwwww!”